THE SIMPSONS - THE SIMPSONS LEADS THE PACK AT WRITERS GUILD AWARDS

THE SIMPSONS LEADS THE PACK AT WRITERS GUILD AWARDS

The Simpsons is the most nominated show for the 2009 Writers Guild of America (WGA) awards, it has been announced.

The animated series, television's longest-running comedy, has five nominations for the prestigious awards, with its first-ever inclusion in the best comedy series category.

It faces competition from Entourage, 30 Rock, The Office and Weeds while four individual episodes of the show were named in the best animation category.

30 Rock, a winner at this year's Emmys and the 2008 best comedy winner at the WGA awards, is the second most-nominated show with four nods.

Acclaimed period drama Mad Men faces stiff competition from The Wire, Dexter, Friday Night Lights and Lost in the best drama category.

And Breaking Bad, an AMC series which tells of a terminally-ill high school teacher who deals crystal meth on the side, is up for three prizes, including best new series.

The 2009 WGA awards will be presented in Los Angeles on February 7th.

Nominees for the 61st annual WGA awards include:Dramatic series
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Lost
Mad Men
The Wire

Comedy series
30 Rock
Entourage
The Office
The Simpsons
Weeds

New series
Breaking Bad
Fringe
In Treatment
Life on Mars
True Blood

Episodic drama
Don't Ever Change - House
Double Booked - Burn Notice
Gray Matter - Breaking Bad
Pilot - Breaking Bad
Pilot - Eli Stone
There's Something About Harry - Dexter

Episodic comedy
Believe in the Stars - 30 Rock
Cooter - 30 Rock
Crime Aid - The Office
Crush'd - Ugly Betty
Succession - 30 Rock
Vote for This and I Promise to Do Something Crazy at the Emmys - My Name is Earl

Animation
Apocalypse Cow - The Simpsons
The Debarted - The Simpsons
E Pluribus Wiggum - The Simpsons
Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words - The Simpsons
Life: A Loser's Manual - King of the Hill
Strangeness on a Train - King of the Hill

Comedy/variety – (including talk) series
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Show with David Letterman
Real Time with Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart